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LETTER 



TO THE MEMBERS OF THE 



5th Maine Battery 



Association, 



BY 



G. T. STEVENS. 



AUGUSTA : 

PRESS OF CHARLES K. NASH 

1890 



LETTER 



TO THE MEMBERS OF THE 



5th Maine Battery 



Association, 



BY 



G. T. STEVENS. 



AUGUSTA : 

PRESS OF CHARLES E. NASH 

1890 



.sit 



7 



0— 



Augusta, Maine, July 4, 1890. 



MY DEAR COMRADE : 

I presume that not long since you received the 
circular purporting to be signed by Lieutenants 
Whittier and Hunt of the 5th Maine Battery 
Association, in relation to our GETTYSBURG 
MONUMENT. 

I am surprised and astonished that they should issue 
a circular containing the false and malicious statements 
therein contained. I have large size photographs 
clearly showing the inscription on all four sides of the 
Monument, taken since the monument was erected, 
which completely refutes their false statements, and 
which I will exhibit to you the first opportunity. 
Their circular was intended evidently to prejudice 
the members of our Association against their late 
commanding officer, and make you dissatisfied with 
the Monument that the State has erected and dedi- 
cated in commemoration of the valuable and important 
services rendered by the Battery on many a hard 
fought field, and also get you to sign a permit or 



power of attorney, authorizing them to appear before 
the Executive Committee of the Maine Gettysburg 
Commission, and have the inscription on the ]Monu- 
ment changed to suit themselves. 

The Monument is one of the finest Battery ]\Ionu- 
ments on the field, and the inscriptions were all sub- 
mitted to the committee on "Locations and Inscrip- 
tions," at Gettj'sburg, before the same were engraved 
and were approved as correct. 

The statement in their circular that the inscription 
is: "Fought here July 2, 3, 1863," is false. 

The inscription on the Monument reads : "Fought 
here July 1, 2, 3, 1863," which is correct. 

The statement in their circular that the inscription 
reads : "Gettysburg, 2 men killed," is also false. 

The inscription on the Monument reads : "Gettys- 
burg, 3 men killed," which is correct. 

The statement in their circular that, "The number 
of men, 19 wounded at Chancellorsville is three (3) 
less than stated in the report made b}^ Lieut. Stevens 
5 days after the battle," is another detestable state- 
ment, and intended to deceive 3'ou. 

My report of the battle of Chancellorsville reads : 
"Our loss in killed and wounded is as follows : 
Killed, 6 ; Wounded, 22," which is correct. A total 
of 28. 



In the number wounded 1 made no distinction be- 
tween officers and men. 

The inscription on the Monument gives our losses 
in detail, as follows : "Chancellorsville, G men killed, 
3 officers and 19 men wounded." A total of 28 which 
is also correct. 

The Whittier-Hunt circular also says : "The num- 
ber of men killed at Gettysburg (2) is not the same 
as appears in the reports of the Adjutant General, 
State of Maine, for the year 1863, and in the official 
records published by the War Department." 

The inscription on the Monument as before stated, 
reads: "Gettysburg, 3 men killed." (See photo- 
graphs) ; and all the official records have it the same. 

Our losses were as follows : 
"Killed. 

Charles M. Bryant. 

William Widner, (detached from N. Y. Reg't.) 

Sullivan Luce." 

"Wounded. 

Capt. G. T. Stevens, severely shot through both 
legs. 

Lieut. C. O. Hunt, severely, right thigh. 

Private Warren B. Bailey, knee. 

Private Sylvester L. Brown, severely, back. 

Private Aaron Simpson, severely, leg. 



6 

Private William Leonard, severely, breast. 

Private John A. Paine, severely, ell)o\v. 

Private Edwin F. Witham, slightly, foot. 

Private John F. Chase, severeh', right arm am- 
putated. 

Private B. Kenyon, (detached,) severely, thumb. 

Private James F. Secor, (detached,) severely, 
arm and leg. 

Private James A. Lambard, severely, right leg. 

Private Homer Nichols, (detached,) right leg." 
"Missing. 

Private Charles Smith. 

Private Isaac P. St Clair. 

Private John Barry, (detached.) 

Private Abner C. ]Marvin, (detached.) 

Private John Drover, (detached.) 

Private Huntermark, (detached.) 

Total 3 killed, 13 wounded, 6 missing." 

The al)()ve is an exact copy of the casualties taken 
from Lieut. Whittier's re})ort under date of July 21, 
18fi3, which exactly agrees with the losses on the 
monument. In giving the totals he included the 2 
officers wounded with the 11 men. 

They made a false statement in their circular, 
and then complain that it does not agree with the 
official reports. They also give the inscription on the 



Monument as reading, "Ammunition expended, 97(5 
rounds." This is another incorrect statement. The 
inscription reads, "979 rounds," which is correct, 
and agrees with the otficial report. See Official 
Records, Vol. 27, page 362. 

Their circular also states that "Lieut. G. T. Stevens, 
in his report dated May 8, 1863, of the part borne bj' 
the Battery at Chancellorsville makes no mention of 
the fact that Leppien was mortally wounded while in 
command of the Batter}'." By this you would be led 
to believe that I did not report the loss of Leppien at 
all. Evasion is as wrong as positive falsehood. In 
my field report of that date I did not give our losses 
in detail, simplj* stating that, "Our loss in killed and 
wounded is as follows : Killed, 6 ; AA'ounded, 22." 
The 22 wounded, included Capt. Leppien, Lieut. 
Twitchell and myself, 3 officers and 19 enlisted men, 
making the 22. That report was made to Capt. D. 
R. Ransom, Division Chief of Artillery, under whose 
command we were temporarih' thrown. 

I stated totals that our depleted ranks might at 
once be filled, which was done by a large detail from 
the infantr}'. It was not then known nor for days 
afterwards that Capt. Leppien was mortally wounded. 
His wound was not necessarily mortal any more than 
that of Lieut. A. B. Twitchell and others who 
recovered. 



8 

In my report to the Adjutant General of the State 
of Maine of that engagement, the State that hatl 
honored Leppien with a commission as Captain of the 
Battery, and afterwanis as Lieut. Col. of ]\Iaine 
Mounted Artillery, and from which source he could 
only expect future advancement and promotion, I 
reported as foHows, and Lieut. Whittier and Hunt 
knew it. 

REPORT. 

"Officers Wounded. 

Capt. George F. Leppien, severely, left leg 
amputated. 

Lieut. G. T. Stevens, slightly, ilesh wound left side. 

Lieut. A. B. Twitchell, severely, flesh wound in 
leg, two fingers amputated." 

"Enlisted Men. 

Sergt. W. F. Lock, killed. 

Corp. Benj. F. Grover, killed. 

Private William W. Ripley, killed. 

Private Timothy Sullivan, killed. 

Private James Nason, killed. 

Private James P. Holt, killed." 
" Wounded. 

Sergt. James C. Bartlett, leg. 

Sergt. Andrew McRae, severely, right breast. 

Corp. Lemuel A. Cummings, neck. 



9 

Private Alonzo Hinkley, face. 
Private John Bolinger, head. 
Private Charles L. Crane, foot. 
Private Kollistan Woodbury, back. 
Private Edwin F. Witham, foot. 
Private Corydon Powers, arm. 
Private Joseph Woods, foce. 
Private Napolean B. Perkins, leg. 
Private Charles M. Kimball, arm, amputated. 
Private Edward A. Stuart, leg, amputated. 
Pi'ivate William H. Nason, hand, amputated. 
Private Edwin L. Knowlton, leg. 
Private James Russell, back. 
Private Cornelius O. Neal, leg. 
Private Joseph Holsinger, slight, arm. 
Private George Denison, severely, side. 
Total 3 officers wounded. 
6 men killed. 
19 men wounded." 

This is one of the most complete and accurate re- 
ports that the Batter}^ ever had, and the numbers lost 
are precisely the same as those on the Monument. 

Their circular also declares that, "The records of 
the Association show that the subject matter or text 
of the inscriptions was never submitted to the Bat- 
tery Association for discussion or approval." 



10 

I can only say that the records of the Association 
in the hands of Capt. Thomas B. Mennealy, Secretary, 
do not show any such a thing. 

The records of our meeting at Gardiner on August 
10, 1887, do show that the ''Report of the Committee 
on Gettysburg Monument, G. T. Stevens, Chairman, 
the same discussed and accepted. Remarks by C. O. 
Hunt, R. Woodbury, J. F. Chase, E. E. Maxwell 
and others. Voted to accept the Monument presented 
by the Committee." 

The design for the Monument then and there pre- 
sented, discussed and accepted, bore the following 
inscription : 

Stevens' Battery, 

5th 

Maine. 

1st 

Corps. 

July 1, 2, 3, 1863. 

This tosrether with cross cannons and the badge of 
the Corps. I have a photograph of that design with 
the inscription which is open for your inspection. At 
our reunion at Oakland on August 16, 1888, it was 
reported by the Chairman of your Committee that 



11 

he proposed to inscribe eleven of our principal bat- 
tles on the Monument, naming them all, together 
with all of our losses, which Avas freely discussed. 
One member of the Association (Withee) thought 
we were not authorized to use "Wilderness" as he did 
not know that the Battery was engaged there. The 
records of that meeting show the following in relation 
to the Monument and nothing more : 

"Report of Committee on Monument read and ap- 
proved. Remarks of G. T. Stevens and other mem- 
bers in regard to the Monument to be erected at 
Gettysburg." 

Farther than this the records are silent in relation 
to the Monument, not showing one thing or another. 
See records. I have certified copies of the same. 

Lieut. Hunt was at our meeting at Gardiner, and 
Lieut. Whittier and Hunt at Oakland, and no dis- 
senting voice or vote was raised against the report of 
your Committee in any particular. 

They also declare in their circular that, "The in- 
scriptions are defective in this respect : that the official 
title of the Battery nowhere appears." 

Let us see about this. The monument has it : 
"Stevens' Battery, 
5th Maine." 

General Hunt, Chief of Artillery, Army of the 



12 

Potomac, in his official report says : "As their columns 
moved out of town, they came under fire of Stevens' 
Battery (Fifth Maine), at 800 yards distance." 

This is official and from the highest Artillery au- 
thority in the Army of the Potomac. 

See Series 1, Vol. 27, Page 234, Official Records, 
Arm}' of the Potomac, published Ijy authority of 
Congress. 

General Doubleday commanding the 1st Arni}^ 
Corps after the death of General Reynolds, to which 
Corps we belonged, in his official report says : 

"Cooper's Battery was assigned bj' the Chief of 
Artillery on the north, and Stevens' Battery (Fifth 
Maine), on the south of the Seminary." Same Vol. 
Page 250. 

Colonel C. S. Wainwright, Chief of Artillery, 1st 
Army Corps, under whose immediate command Ave 
were, in his official report of the battle of Gettysburg 
says : "Meantime General Doubleday had moved 
Captain Stevens' Battery to the right of Ca[)tain 
Cooper's." Same Vol. Page 356. 

On all three of the official maps of the battle of 
Gettysburg, published by authority of the Hon. 
Secretary of War, and compiled by Col. John B. 
Batchelder, the government historian, the position of 
"Stevens' j j j j j j (battery), 5th Maine," is given 
and so marked. 



13 

• 

General Hunt in an article in the Century Maga- 
zine for December, 1886, gives a picture of the ground 
occupied by "Stevens' 5th Maine Batter}-." He also 
in the text speaks of Stevens' twelve pounders at the 
head of the ravine. 

General Doubledaj^ in his history of Chancelloi's- 
ville and Gettysburg, says : "About eleven A. M. the 
remainder of the First Corps came up together with 
Coopers', Stewart's, Reynolds' and Stevens' batteries." 
Page 135. 

He also says : "Stewart's, Reynolds' and Stevens' 
batteries which had been a good deal cut u[) the first 
day, were now brought to bear on the ai)proaching 
enemy." Page 182. 

Swiuton's Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, 
speaks of "Stevens' Battery." Page 354. 

Harper's \yeekly of June 25, 1864, gives an illus- 
tration with this title, "Grant's Great Campaign. 
Stevens' Battery at Cold Harbor — from a sketch by 
A. R. Waud." On page 410, of the same number it 
says: "In the Battle of Cold Harbor, June 1, Stev- 
ens' battery belonging to the Sixth Corps was so 
near the rebel lines that the soldiers nicknamed it 
^Battery Insult.^ It stirred up the rebels in a most 
aggravating manner, and was an excessively danger- 
ous spot to be seen in. After a discharge of the 



14 

pieces, hundreds of bullets would zip through the 
embrasures and around the earth works ; occasionally 
round shot would batter down portions of the work, 
but the artillerists s tuck to it and did <rood execution." 
A writer in the National Tribune, under date of 
February 6th, 1890, speaks of "Stevens' infallable 
old 5th Maine Battery." 

This is the Battery of which Lieuts. Whittier and 
Hunt say : "The official title nowhere appears," on 
the monument. As a further illustration of the cor- 
rectness and truthfulness of Lieut. W'hittier's state- 
ments, I will call 3'our attention to his report of the 
Battle of Gettyburg, where he, speaking of the 
wounded, says : "Lieutenant Hunt at the seminary 
during the enemy's charge on our position, and Cap- 
tain Stevens on the morning of the 2nd, by a bullet 
from the town." All of you who were present during 
the 2nd day, must judge whether I was wounded in 
the morning or in the afternoon of the second day. 
Wishing to cover as much of the time as possible 
when he, Whittier, was in command of the battery 
he so reported. I never had any knowledge that he 
so reported until the publication of the War 
Records. 

Their circular further declares, "That it does not 
anywhere appear that the Battery had any other 



15 

conimandinof officer than Captain Stevens, in an}' 
portion of its term of service." 

There is nothing said on the monument about any 
commanding officer of the Battery. It gives the of- 
ficial title of the Battery, the same as that of the 
other Maine Batteries. The inscription on one of 
the monuments reads : "Hall's 2nd Maine Battery ;" 
on another it reads : "Dow's 6th Maine Battery." 

Other officers besides Hall and Dow commanded 
those batteries in some portion of their term of 
service. 

Our monument was not intended to give the history 
or biography of any individual, but an outline of its 
services and sacrifices as an organization at Gettys- 
burg and elsewhere. Had Lieut. Edward N. Whit- 
tier's name incorrectly appeared on the monument 
as commanding the entire second and third days, as 
you must infer from his official report ; and also had 
Lieut. Charles O. Hunt been inscribed as wounded 
and captured, you would never have seen or heard 
of their circular. On November 10th, 1887, after 
our reunion at Gardiner, and after the design for the 
monument with the inscription on the face or front 
had been presented, discussed and accepted by the 
Association, Lieut. Hunt wrote me as follows : 
"The more I have thouoht of the matter of the in- 



16 

scription on the monument the more thoroughly op- 
posed I iim to having the Sixth Corps budge and the 
names of the other battles put on it. It is not (he 
says) intended to be a histoiical monument to the 
5th Maine Battery, l)ut to indicate the place and the 
part taken by it in that particular battle ; and I feel 
that it is very inapi)roi)riate to put on the stone, 
names referring to events that happened after the 
battle of Gettysburg, even if some other organiza- 
tions have done so. I feel sure that the impression 
made on visitors will not be so favorable as the plain 
inscription, giving the date when the Battery held 
position, marked, and the badge of the First Corps. 
Henry is decidedly of this opinion, and WJnttier 
aim, whom I saw a few days ago." These were the 
sentiments of Lieuts. Hunt and \yhittier at the time 
when the monument was in process of construction. 
Xow they find fault because we did not inscribe all 
of our skirmishes, where we met with no losses, and 
that have no place in history ; completely ignoring 
all of our losses and sacrifices except Gettysburg, 
and not one word said about Captain Leppien, in any 
way, shape or manner. 

Lieut. Hunt afterwards consented that the battles 
might be put on, and under date of November 17, 
1887, wrote rae as follows : "I did not expect that they 



17 

(a Boston Gmnite Company) would have anything 
as good as the one you had, which / for one, teas 
perfectly delighted icitli. I hope there will be no 
difficulty in getting your design carried out." What 
design ? The design presented at Gardiner ; the de- 
sign with the "Stevens' Battery, 5th Maine, 1st Corps, 
July 1, 2,3, 1863," printed upon it; the design 
that the eleven battles, and all of our losses were to 
appear upon. We have got all that corectly done, 
and now what is the matter? The Lieut. Hunt let- 
ters are open for inspection. The Gettysburg Bat- 
tle-field Memorial Association, a corporation existing 
under the laws of Pennsylvania, having charge and 
control of the field, and under whose instruction and 
guidance we were, entertained a different opinion 
from Lieuts. Whittier and Hunt, and recommended 
as follows : 

"As the memorials erected on this field will not 
only mark the i)ositions held by the several com- 
mands but will also be regimental or batter}' monu- 
ments and in most instances the only ones ever erected 
by them, the Memorial Association strongly recom- 
mends that the inscriptions be not only historically 
accurate, but sufficient in detail to give an idea of the 
services of the command" This being in accordance 
with the idea of your committee all of our battles 
and losses were inscribed. 



18 
The iusciiption on the Monument reads us follows. 

(North side.) 

.STEVENS' BATTERY, 

5th MAINE, 1st CORPS. 




FOUGHT HERE, 

JULY 1, 2, 3, 1863, 

ALSO ENGAGED 
JULY 1st north of THE 

SEMINARY^ 

AMMUNITION EXPENDED 

979 ROUNDS. 



19 

(West side.) 
BULL RUN 2xD, 

FREDERICKSBURG, 

CHANCELLORS VILLE, 

GETTYSBURG, 

WILDERNESS, 
SPOTTSYLVANIA. 

COLD HARBOR, 

PETERSBURG. 

OPEQUAN, 

FISHER'S HILL, 

CEDAR CREEK. 



20 

(South side.) 
LOSSES. 



BULL RUN 2nd, 

1 OFFICER AND 3 MEN KILLED. 

8 MEN WOUNDED, 

6 MEN MISSING. 



CHANCELLORSVILLE, 

6 MEN KILLED, 

3 OFFICERS AND 19 MEN WOUNDED. 



GETTYSBURG. 

8 MEN KILLED, 

2 OFFICERS AND 11 MEN WOUNDED, 

6 MEN MISSING. 



OPEQUAN, 
6 MEN WOUNDED. 



CEDAR CREEK, 

2 MEN KILLED, 

16 MEN WOUNDED. 



21 

(East side.) 

'' IN THE ASSAULT UPON 

EAST CEMETERY HILL, 

IN THE EVENING OF 

JULY 2nd, the enemy, 

(HAYS' AND HOKE'S BRIGADES,) 
EXPOSED THEIR LEFT FLANK TO 

STEVENS' BATTERY 

WHICH POURED A TERRIBLE FIRE 

OF DOUBLE CANISTER INTO 

THEIR RANKS." 

DUBLEDAY. 



22 

Captiiin Leppien wjis my friend and I his. Oui* 
relations were of the most intimate and cordial char- 
acter. 

At the battle of Chancellorsville he held a com- 
mission as Lieutenant Colonel of Maine Mounted 
Artillery, but had not been mustered into the U. S. 
Service as such. He had recommended me as his 
successor but I had not received my commission. 
In a communication to his Excellency the Governor 
of Maine, dated April 8th, 18G3, the original draft 
in Leppien's hand-writing I now hold, he said : 
"Lieut. Stevens was very active and successful in 
aiding to recruit my battery under the direction of 
His Excellency, Israel Wasburn, Jr., then Governor of 
the State of Maine, and he has since the organization 
of the battery faithfully and with credit served under 
me ; he has in all cases acquitted himself with honor ; 
and through his strict attention to and prompt execu- 
tion of orders has proved himself to be an efficient 
officer earning my highest esteem. 

"Through his studious habits, knowledge and due 
appreciation of military discipline he is worthy of 
trust and command. 

"Durino^ the last five months when I was officiatino; 
the greater part of the time as Chief of Artillery of 
the Division the command and interior economy of 



23 

the battery was under the direct supervision of Lieut. 
Stevens, and the opportunity to display his knowl- 
edge and experience was in all cases improved to my 
perfect satisfaction. For these reasons I would most 
respectfully beg leave to bring Lieut. Stevens to the 
favorable notice of your Excellency, and recommend 
him as my successor as Captain of the 5th Battery 
Maine Vols. The great importance of personal 
qualification of a battery commander renders success 
in all parts of this service not frequent, and the 
selection of officers a point of great consideration ; 
but I feel convinced that Lieut. Stevens will reflect 
credit upon your Excellency in case your Excellency 
w\\\ honor him with the promotion, and that he will 
sustain the reputation of the battery." 

What more could one officer say of another ? Such 
were the feelings existing between Leppien and myself 
at the time Whittier and Hunt would have you be- 
lieve I did not treat him fairly. Capt. Leppien needs 
no encomium from me. His biography has been 
written by an abler hand than mine. Neither does 
he need a monument of granite, of marble, or of 
bronze, to perpetuate his memory on a battlefield 
ivhere he never u-as, and fought at a time when he was 
not living. 

You will remember that Capt. Leppien received 



24 

his death-wound in his first great battle where he 
was personally in command of the battery. 

Lieut. VV. F. Twitchell commanded at Bull Run 
2nd and was killed. 

Stevens (Lieut.) commanded at Fredericksburg, 
Leppien then acting as Chief of Artillery, 2nd 
Division, 1st Army Corps. At Chancellorsville 
Capt. Leppien was personally in comujand, was 
severely wounded and afterwards died. At Gettys- 
burg Stevens (Capt.) was in command until the 2nd 
day of the battle when he was also severely wounded 
and the command fell to Lieut. Whittier. After- 
wards Stevens (Capt.) commanded in the Wilderness 
at Spottsylvania, at Cold Harbor, at Petersburg, at 
Winchester or Oi)e(][uan, at Fisher's Hill, and at 
Cedar Creek. 

You will judge of the correctness of the statements 
and opinion expressed by Lieuts. Whittier and Hunt. 

Let me repeat, our Monument is one of the finest 
Artillery monuments on the field. 

The base is of Hallowell Granite, finely cut. The 
plinth or second base is of the same material, on the 
west side of which is a light twelve pounder gun with 
a gunner and two cannoniers in the act of loadinsj 
and pointing cut in relief. The die on which the in- 



25 

sci'iptions are all cut is red granite highly polished, 
the color indicating the Artillery, our branch of the 
service. The cap is a hugh cannon ball, two feet 
eight inches in diameter, of black granite also highly 
polished, and held in place by the top of the die 
being concaved to fit the ball, and by a large co[)per 
spindle. The design is unique and attractive and 
the monument of the most substantial character. 

In conclusion I would say that I have always 
entertained the most friendly feeling towards Lieuts. 
Whittier and Hunt and that they l)oth have received 
many favors at my hand. 

I am very truly yours, 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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